DVD Review: Terminator – The Sarah Connor Chronicles The Complete First Season

The Sarah Connor Chronicles exploded onto Fox television in January, taking the Terminator mythology to a new level. The series won ratings, and it was picked up for a second season which premiered on September 8 on Fox. This DVD set was released in August, and it contains all the episodes that made season one. As a fan of the Terminator franchise, I was excited to hear about and see this series when it premiered, and was pleasantly surprised by it.

The series takes place during John Connor’s teen years, in the period following the second Terminator film. However, this series takes a giant leap away from the events in the films to create its own story. This confused and angered many fans of the series of films, but it was soon seen that this series could live separately from the movies. The timeline set forth in the films will continue forward on the big screen when Terminator Salvation hits theaters in May.

The Sarah Connor Chronicles stars Lena Headey as Sarah Connor, Thomas Dekker as John Connor, and Summer Glau as Cameron, the terminator sent back in time to save him this time around. Brian Austin Green also joins the cast during the season as Derek Reese, John’s uncle sent back on separate mission from the future. Brian and Summer are both familiar to Fox audiences. Brian made it big as David Silver on Beverly Hills 90210 during the 1990s, and Summer was a part of Firefly on Fox.

The DVD box set contains three discs that are a mix of episodes and special features. The season consisted of nine episodes, and the DVD also has an extended version of one of them, episode seven titled "The Demon Hand." Along with audition tapes, a gag reel, and a behind-the-scenes look at the creation of the series, this DVD set is a must-have for any fan of The Sarah Connor Chronicles. New episodes air on Fox, Monday nights at 8/7c.